Whatcote
Encyclopedia
Whatcote is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire
, England
, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Shipston on Stour.
records that in 1086 Hugh de Grandmesnil
, one of William the Conqueror's
military commanders, owned the manor
of Whatcote. In the latter half of the 14th century Thomas Stafford, 3rd Earl of Stafford acquired the manor. It remained with the Stafford family until 1520 when Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
conveyed the manor to Sir William Compton
. It remained with the Compton family, the Earls of Northampton
until early in the 19th century, but by 1826 it had been acquired by Sir Adolphus Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet
. By 1865 Sir Adolphus had sold it to the Peach family, who in turn sold it to Thomas Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield
.
of St. Peter was built in the first half of the 12th century. The nave
survives from this period, with a Norman
doorway and two Norman windows in the north wall. The tower
and several windows in the south wall were added late in the 13th century and the chancel
was rebuilt in about 1300. One of the windows in the south wall of the chancel is a 14th century addition. The south porch, and the parapet and two of the bell-chamber windows of the tower, are 15th century additions. In the 16th or 17th century a buttress
was added to shore up part of the north wall. A German bomb badly damaged the nave and porch in 1941 and the building was restored in 1947.
The church tower has three bells. The tenor had been cast in 1652 but was recast by Henry Bond of Burford
, Oxfordshire
in 1897. John Clark of Evesham
cast the second bell in 1711. The treble bell was cast in 1766 but was recast by William Blews & Sons of Birmingham
in 1878.
In the churchyard are the base and shaft of a mediaeval cross, from which the top has been lost and replaced with a 17th or early 18th century sundial. St. Peter's is now part of a single benefice with the neighbouring parishes of Oxhill
and Tysoe
.
, the Royal Oak
, controlled by the Hook Norton Brewery
.
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Shipston on Stour.
Manor
The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
records that in 1086 Hugh de Grandmesnil
Hugh de Grandmesnil
Hugh de Grandmesnil , also known as Hugh or Hugo de Grentmesnil or Grentemesnil, is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Subsequently he became a great landowner in England.He was the elder son of Robert of...
, one of William the Conqueror's
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
military commanders, owned the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Whatcote. In the latter half of the 14th century Thomas Stafford, 3rd Earl of Stafford acquired the manor. It remained with the Stafford family until 1520 when Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and the former Lady Catherine Woodville, daughter of the 1st Earl Rivers and sister-in-law of King Edward IV.-Early life:Stafford was born at Brecknock Castle in Wales...
conveyed the manor to Sir William Compton
William Compton (courtier)
Sir William Compton was one of the most prominent courtiers during the reign of Henry VIII of England. Born around 1482, Compton was about nine years older than his king, but the two became close friends. Compton was the eldest son of Edmund Compton of Warwickshire and became an attendant on young...
. It remained with the Compton family, the Earls of Northampton
Marquess of Northampton
Marquess of Northampton is a title that has been created twice.-William Parr:First creation, 1547–1571The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1547 in favour of William Parr, brother of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII. The title was forfeited...
until early in the 19th century, but by 1826 it had been acquired by Sir Adolphus Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet
Sir Adolphus Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet
Sir Adolphus John Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet of High Mark was a British army officer and politician. -Early life:...
. By 1865 Sir Adolphus had sold it to the Peach family, who in turn sold it to Thomas Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield
Thomas Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield
Thomas Augustus Wolstenholme Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield was a British peer. Before inheriting the earldom, he sat in the House of Commons as Conservative Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire from 1837 until 1841....
.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St. Peter was built in the first half of the 12th century. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
survives from this period, with a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorway and two Norman windows in the north wall. The tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and several windows in the south wall were added late in the 13th century and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was rebuilt in about 1300. One of the windows in the south wall of the chancel is a 14th century addition. The south porch, and the parapet and two of the bell-chamber windows of the tower, are 15th century additions. In the 16th or 17th century a buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
was added to shore up part of the north wall. A German bomb badly damaged the nave and porch in 1941 and the building was restored in 1947.
The church tower has three bells. The tenor had been cast in 1652 but was recast by Henry Bond of Burford
Burford
Burford is a small town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in west Oxfordshire, England, about west of Oxford, southeast of Cheltenham and only from the Gloucestershire boundary...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in 1897. John Clark of Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
cast the second bell in 1711. The treble bell was cast in 1766 but was recast by William Blews & Sons of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1878.
In the churchyard are the base and shaft of a mediaeval cross, from which the top has been lost and replaced with a 17th or early 18th century sundial. St. Peter's is now part of a single benefice with the neighbouring parishes of Oxhill
Oxhill
Oxhill or Ox Hill may refer to the following places:*Oxhill, County Durham, a village in England*Oxhill, Warwickshire, a village in England*Ox Hill, a subordinate peak of Mount Toby, in Massachusetts...
and Tysoe
Tysoe
Tysoe is a civil parish located in Warwickshire, England, north-west of Banbury. The three main settlements in the parish, Upper, Middle and Lower Tysoe are on a hill, hence the respective village names. Upper and Middle Tysoe have now merged, whereas Lower Tysoe is still separate, a little...
.
Amenities
Whatcote has a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Royal Oak
Royal Oak
The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Charles confirmed to Samuel Pepys in 1680 that while he was...
, controlled by the Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor; mashing at the top, boiling in the middle, fermentation...
.